


who is in control?

by swirligig



Category: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
Genre: F/M, Power Play, Smut, cardan is lowkey a sex god, cardan likes to mess with her, dom!cardan, i wrote this over a year ago and dont feel like editing it again, jude struggles with being vulnerable, sorry if theres any errors/plot holes, sub!jude, wicked king era jurdan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:27:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28746933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swirligig/pseuds/swirligig
Summary: Jude struggles with her unwanted attraction to Cardan, who is under her power but still manages to make her feel powerless. He likes to mess with her but has a soft spot for Jude when she relaxes her white-knuckled grip on her control.~angsty power play smut fic~
Relationships: Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar
Comments: 18
Kudos: 122





	1. honey wine & moonbeams

The young king was sprawled across his bed, shirt halfway unbuttoned and hair suggestively messy, when she walked in. The two girls who were giggling into his neck paid her no mind as she frowned at them.

"Cardan, can you tell your whores to leave?" 

He smirked at her as one of his bedmates bit his ear and whispered something to him as she cut her eyes at Jude. Cardan's smirk grew, and Jude had no doubt the girl had made a jest at her expense. 

"Cardan," Jude gritted out.

He laughed and shooed the girls out of the room. They brushed by Jude as they left, smelling of the rose oil he always rubbed on his neck. She waited, arms crossed, eyebrows raised, until they shut the door behind them.

Cardan patted the bed, "Come sit, Jude darling." 

She gave him a pointed look as she pulled the chair out from his desk. "I'd rather not." She sat as she said, "if the fey could get STDs, you'd have all of them."

Cardan wrinkled his nose. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

Jude sighed. "Never mind." She pulled a document from a slit pocket in her skirt. "Can you just sign this please?"

Cardan lazily put his hand out, clearly not making an effort to get up. Jude rolled her eyes and stood up, walking over and dropping it in his palm. Before she could react, his other hand reached up to stroke her wrist, and she snatched her arm away with a huff. He merely grinned to himself as he glanced at the paper. "You want me to sign an order from my account.... for clothes?" He laughed at her discomfort. "Since when do you have any interest in clothes?"

Jude glared at him, an unbidden human flush creeping up her neck. "Because if I'm your seneschal, I need to look the part. And I'm tired of your court sneering at me for dressing too plainly. I don't really care what they think, but I need them to respect my position." 

Cardan watched her blush with keen fascination. "And why is my approval needed?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "Well, it's from your account..." she trailed off.

He revelled in her uneasiness, prompting, "And...?"

"And I don't know anything about fashion, so just look at what I am going to order and see if it's good enough," Jude bit out. 

He smiled sweetly at her venom, holding her eyes as he flipped the document to see the sketches, finally looking down when she stubbornly refused to break eye contact despite her obvious discomfort. The sketches were simple, in her taste, and practical as well, with hidden pockets and straps meant for concealing weapons. One dress in particular caught his attention, with what looked like draping gauzy grey material that was promised to "shimmer wherever the light should touch". 

Cardan looked back up. "I think they look just fine," he said.

Jude huffed impatiently and thrust a pen in his direction. "Can you just sign it so I can go?"

He didn't take the pen. "I'll sign it," he smirked, "on one condition."

The pen still extended, Jude waited, eyebrow raised.

"Wear this dress for me, the grey one," he said, honeyed suggestion dripping off his words.

Jude snatched the pen back. "Absolutely not," she said. 

Cardan shrugged. "I guess you won't be needing these pants either, then. The ones with the dozens of hidden pockets?"

Jude cast a longing glance at the pages, quickly shuttered behind an annoyed mask, but not before Cardan noticed her peek. He waited, suppressing a grin.

She tapped her foot. "Why do you want to see me just wear a dress?"

"Why would I not?" Cardan retorted playfully. He offered his hand and wiggled his fingers at the pen clutched in her own. 

She sighed in exasperation. "I could just make you sign it," she said, the heaviness of his oath hanging in the air.

He ignored the seriousness of the threat, falsely simpering smile on his face. "And where's the fun in that?"

She glanced at the lightening sky outside, clearly in a rush, and then slapped the pen into his hand. "Whatever. Just wearing a stupid dress I don't even really want anyway."

He signed the order with a flourish and gracefully folded the papers into her hands. "I will hold you to that," he said with a smirk as she stormed out of the room. 

Shoving the pages in her pocket, Jude scowled to herself, but couldn't hide the flutter of her pulse as she left his chambers. Just wearing a stupid dress. That was all. 

* * *

Within the next week, Jude entered her room to see the satin-wrapped packages of clothing laying on her bed. She glanced over her shoulder nervously, somehow expected to see Cardan leaning against the doorframe. Immediately, she chided herself for being irrational, and set about to putting away the perfectly tailored clothes. She paused just a second too long as she hung the grey dress up in her wardrobe, fingers brushing the material so fine it felt like cobwebs. Even in the low lighting of her room, the dress shimmered like light dancing through water. She really didn't know why she ordered it, but the tailor insisted it would look lovely on her, and something about the color reminded her of the sky as it snowed, gentle and bright at the same time. 

She shut the wardrobe door with a definitive click, shaking herself out of her reverie. As she dressed for bed, she told herself that Cardan would forget their deal, that he was a little too drunk to recall, and a little too lazy to care. But deep down, in a place so secret that Jude herself was barely aware, she wished with all her fierce heart that he would remember.

* * *

Jude wore the pants with the pockets to court the next afternoon, quietly delighted at the assortment of knives so delicately hidden against her legs. She settled herself in the chair next to Cardan's throne, his dark hair curling against his crown, crooked on his head like the smirk he permanently wore on his face. He barely spared her a glance, swirling some purple liquid in his cup as a green-skinned nymph whispered into his ear, sprawled across his lap. He seemed disinterested in her advances, and soon pushed her unceremoniously away, much to her indignation as she toppled off his legs onto the floor. Jude hid a smirk as the nymph huffed and stomped away. 

The afternoon passed quickly, court fey acting relatively docile and requests being relatively easy to grant. Cardan had barely said two words to Jude, who was not sure if she was relieved or miffed that he didn't notice her new pants from the clothing order. As the business hours waned and the nightly festivities began, Cardan dismissed himself, setting aside his cup, and striding in the direction of his chambers, with hardly a goodbye glance to Jude. 

She struggled to refrain from being slightly disappointed as she stood up to leave as well. As she stepped past his throne, her eye snagged on the drink in his cup, still full, barely touched. She snapped her eyes to his retreating figure, walking in a perfectly straight line. He was completely sober, and she had never been more perplexed. Cardan never turned down an opportunity to drink to his heart's content. 

She stood there a second longer, watching him leave, disconcerted by his disinterest and his apparent sobriety. As the party grew louder, Jude resigned herself to his odd behavior and left for her room to finish up the last of the day's business. 

* * *

The noise dimmed behind her as she shut the door to her chambers. Her dinner was hot next to her desk, some quiet servant having noticed her departure from the court and alerting the kitchen. She savored the warm bread and sharp cheese as she sorted through the documents in front of her, absentmindedly popping the dainty fresh strawberries from the court gardens in her mouth as she finished. Focused on her work, she started with a small gasp at the ring of her chamber bell before quickly walking to open the door. 

A little blue pixie hovered in the hallway, giggling to itself.

Jude sighed, "Yes?"

It chuckled behind its clawed hands. "The High King requests the seneschal's presence in his chambers." It did a tiny loop in the air and grinned at her with a mouth full of pointed teeth. "He asks that the seneschal should hold to her promise, and also would the seneschal please bring him a bottle of rose wine." The pixie twirled in the air once more before darting off down the hallway, towards the faraway din of the court. 

Jude pulled the door shut with a slight tremble in her hands. She couldn't tell if the heavy feeling in her stomach was excitement or dread, but she shook off her emotions and chastised herself for being silly. It was just a stupid dress. Right? 

She quickly undressed, her specially designed pants forgotten on the floor as she slipped the gossamer grey gown over her head. It was so light against her skin she could scarcely feel it, like the slightest kiss of a breeze. It seemed to move in the candlelight as she looked in the mirror, hardly recognizing the flushed girl looking back at her with moonbeams draped across her body. 

She left her rooms in a daze, the dress throwing speckles of light even in the darkest hallways. Each step felt weighted, and she had to catch her breath as she finally came to stand before the High King's doors. It was just a stupid dress, she repeated. 

She knocked.

The door swung open a moment later, but nobody was behind it. She stepped through, shutting the door with a quiet click, and following the flickering light from the fireplace a few rooms down. She paused as she realized it was emanating from the entrance of Cardan's bedroom. 

There he stood, back to her, silhouetted against the warm glow. At her silent footsteps, he turned, fey hearing tuned to every movement of the air. He dragged his heavy-lidded eyes down her figure, and though she was covered completely, she had never felt more naked. The dress slipped like mercury against her chest as she took in a generous breath of air. 

She stared back. His white shirt was only halfway buttoned and the lean muscle of his chest invited her gaze. Quickly, she snapped herself out of it and made eye contact with him, trying to regain her composure.

"Okay, here I am," she snipped, "have you had your eyeful yet?"

Her snark seemed to flip a switch in him, and he straightened up to retort, "I see you didn't bring the wine I requested." 

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Was the wine in court not good enough for you?"

Cardan shrugged and looked her up and down once more. "I guess I was in the mood for something....sweeter." His words dripped suggestively off his tongue and Jude wanted nothing more than for him to drink her up. 

She rolled her eyes instead, but her oh-so human blush betrayed her thoughts. Cardan noticed, and Jude noticed him noticing, and he noticed her noticing him. 

The air seemed thick and she suddenly felt anxious. What was she even doing here? He had nothing over her but a dumb promise she made that she could just as easily break. She wasn't fey; words held no power over her. He seemed to sense her nervousness and softened a little, turning his heavy gaze away from her so she could breathe. 

"No matter," he said, uncharacteristically gentle, "I happen to have some honey wine that I think you might like." He opened a nearby cabinet and pulled out an amber glass bottle, pouring it into two delicate cups made of stained glass. Jude sat on the far end of the fireside sofa, quietly accepting the glass without her usual sass. Cardan sat on the opposite end, and even with her nervous heart, Jude wished he'd come a little closer. 

They sipped the sweet wine in silence, and the tingle of the alcohol in her throat only heightened her senses. Jude steeled herself against her unwanted jitters. "Why did you really not drink today?" she asked softly. 

Cardan swallowed the last mouthful of the golden drink and set the glass down before answering. "I felt like seeing you dressed in liquid moonlight would be something I'd like to fully remember." He glanced sideways at her and she met his eyes. His solemnity stilled the air in her lungs, so opposite to their habitual barbed banter. It didn't last long though, and he grinned at her as he said, "I feel like seeing you in nothing but moonlight would be even better though."

Jude hissed half-heartedly at his teasing and finished her drink, the alcohol beginning to calm her uncertainty. "Are we done here now? You've clearly seen the dress and it's getting late."

He pretended to pout at her. "Aw, do I make you nervous? Well, if you're too afraid to stay, I suppose I'll let you go."

He knew that Jude could never resist a challenge. 

She stood up so abruptly that he almost startled. "I'm not nervous, just tired," she huffed.

Cardan cradled his chin in his hand in fake sympathy. "Poor seneschal, too tired from her long day of sitting in a chair and granting easy requests. Maybe you aren't cut out for court, Jude dearest."

Jude glared at him, anxiety forgotten. "What do you want?"

The words melted off his tongue, "Dance for me." 


	2. beg me, jude

She hesitated, and then saw his eyebrow raise in a silent challenge. "Where's the music?" she asked, false bravado in her tone. Without breaking eye contact, he flicked his hand, and somewhere in his chambers, a harp began to play by itself in a gentle melody that sounded like the stars were singing.

The beauty of the music drifted through her, and against her better reasoning, Jude began to dance, the movements so alike to a fight that they came naturally to her. She danced as if her hands held daggers, twirling and bending against an invisible opponent. The moonbeams drifted through the windows and her dress lit up the room with a shimmering glow.

Cardan sat, as if in a trance, as Jude gave up her composure and spun with the lilting song, scattering stars across his body. She laughed, genuinely, for the first time in a long time, as her skirt swirled out with her spin. The room glowed with her, and the music swelled.

She lost her balance, human clumsiness catching up to her, and toppled right into Cardan's lap. The harp quieted, and the only sounds were the crackling fire and her beating heart. Cardan slipped a hand around her calf, bare where the dress had slipped to the side. They both watched his fingers curl against her, and that simple gesture flooded her mind with indecent thoughts. 

Paralyzed by want so heavy she felt as if she were drowning, her breath stopped short as his other hand came to cup her cheek, softly, so so softly. Their eyes met, and the rawness in his gaze was almost too much to bear. So she closed her eyes and met him halfway, lips too gentle for the mad rush she was feeling inside. He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips before opening his mouth to hers. She slid a hand behind his head, the other flat against his chest, and the hand against her calf tightened. 

Not breaking their kiss, Cardan pulled her against him, straddling his lap, the shimmering fabric of that stupid dress pooling so delicately around their bodies. She grew impatient with his tenderness and bit his bottom lip, hard. He chuckled darkly at her eagerness and gripped her neck. Her pulse jumped; he could so easily kill her if he wished to, and yet she felt so safe with his hand around her throat. 

"Harder," she breathed into his lips, and he squeezed her throat roughly as he licked inside her mouth, tasting of honey wine. The hand around her calf began inching up her leg, slipping under her dress, and rubbing her bare thigh. Unconsciously, she ground into his lap, and he groaned into the kiss. Her hands were fisted in his midnight hair, desperately pulling him back to her mouth each time they parted for breath. Stars danced in the corners of her eyes as he choked her, and the power she was letting him have over her was deliriously freeing. 

He was ever so careful as he gripped her throat, watching the way she leaned into his hand as if she craved his touch more than oxygen itself. He loosened his fingers and slid them into her braided hair, pulling her head to the side none too gently. She gasped at the light pain, still grinding her core against him. Cardan licked up the side of her neck, whispering, "I didn't drink today because I wanted to drink you." He bit down, hard, and Jude whimpered at the feeling of her skin between his teeth. She knew he was marking her with bruises down her throat, but she couldn't bring herself to care. That was a problem for later.

His other hand was still rubbing her thigh, and she so desperately needed him to move closer, closer, to her center, but he only teased light touches up the inside of her leg without ever pressing where she wanted him the most. She growled as he laughed gently at her want, and she bit his neck sharply in silent retort. He merely stroked her head as she sucked at his throat, some primal urge in her compelling her to mark her territory. She bit again, harder, as she thought about the other girls he had touched before. In the last sane corner of her mind, she realized that her utter disdain for the fey girls constantly in his bed was pure, simple jealousy. Mine, she thought, as she kissed his pulse. Mine, she thought, as she licked the rose oil off his skin. 

Cardan rocked against her as she worked her way up his neck, kissing his jaw until she reached his mouth again and licked between his lips to get him to open up to her. He smirked against her mouth, and stood up suddenly, gripping the back of her thighs as she intuitively wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked the few steps to his bed, and before she could even take a breath, tossed her onto the soft sheets.

Jude landed with her head on a pillow, and the overwhelming smell of  _ Cardan _ flooded her senses. She bit back an unconscious moan at his scent all around her, on her. She looked up and he stood at the foot of the bed, hair mussed and dark bruises forming on his perfect fey skin, she noted with no small satisfaction. He tossed his shirt to the side, and lifted himself onto the bed, holding eye contact with her as she lay prone on her back, chest visibly rising and falling with her rapid breaths. He crawled towards her, over her, and she could hardly stand not being touched by him. 

Cardan placed his hands on each side of her head. "Hey," he whispered.

Jude's eyelashes fluttered against her cheek as she felt his breath on her skin. "Hey," she whispered back. 

He smiled, so purely happy that her heart stopped dead in her chest, and he braced himself on one hand as he lifted the other to brush her lips. She instinctively opened her mouth, and he slid his fingers in, the suggestion so vulgar she could feel the heat drip down her thighs. She closed her lips on his two fingers and swirled her tongue around them, the eye contact between them intensely burning down her body. 

"Good girl," he said softly, and her pulse jumped. He slid his fingers out of her mouth, trailing them down her throat, where he gently squeezed, kissing her so, so slowly. 

"Cardan," she whimpered into his mouth. 

"What, Jude darling?" he breathed. 

"You know what," she said, suddenly shy of his experience, and her lack thereof.

"Tell me, Jude," he said, gently but with no room for questioning him. "Beg me, Jude."

Every fiber of her being recoiled at the thought of begging to someone, anyone, but especially Cardan, her worst enemy, her greatest weakness. She frowned at him, and he tightened his hand around her throat.

"Beg, Jude."

Her breath quivered. "Please, Cardan," she whispered.

"Please, what?" He let go of her throat and kissed her shoulder as he worked her dress up her body. 

"Please touch me," she begged, ever so quietly, almost under her breath.

Cardan lifted her up slightly and slipped the moonlight dress over her head in one quick movement. She leaned back on her elbows, bare before him except for her underwear. Her heart was racing, and Cardan watched her pulse beat under the skin of her left breast.

"Lay down, Jude," he told her softly. She did.

He started at her neck, her most vulnerable spot, leaving one more bite mark for good measure. He kissed and licked his way to her breasts, and when she felt his breath on her peaks, she gasped and threaded her fingers through his hair. At the first touch of his tongue to her nipple, she arched into his mouth, her legs wrapping around him and pulling him closer.

She squeaked as he pinched her nipple between his teeth, rolling the other between his fingers. He switched breasts and she could hardly catch her breath. She didn't know anything could feel so good, and he hadn't even touched her properly yet. He glanced up at her with her nipple under his tongue, and she flushed so hot everywhere at the sight of the High King sucking at her breasts. He smiled with it still in his mouth, giving her another nibble before kissing the center of her stomach.

Jude could feel the trail of purple marks meandering down her body, each one a reminder that Cardan's mouth had been there. He reached the bottom of her stomach and looked up at her again. She leaned up slightly on her elbow, watching him with pupils dilated and mouth open to gasp for air. 

He paused, just watching her face, as he rubbed her core through her soaked underwear, and she whimpered, pressing herself into his hand. He pulled away, much to her frustration, but then slipped his fingers around the waistband of her underwear and pulled them down, down, down, until they were off her feet and on the floor. Jude flushed from her chest to her forehead as Cardan rested his hands against her thighs, spreading her legs so she was completely bare before him. 

"Are you good?" he asked, voice husky with desire.

She bit her lip and nodded.

"Say it, Jude," he said, eyes dark.

"I'm good," she breathed, "please touch me."

He ignored her plea, rubbing the insides of her thighs, so so close, but not close enough. "Have you done any of this before?" he asked quietly.

She blushed harder from embarrassment and looked away. Cardan was quick to grab her chin to face him again. "Look at me when I talk to you," he said. "Answer my question."

"No," she whispered, "I haven't."

His eyes grew darker. "Have you touched yourself before, Jude?"

Jude didn't think her face could get any redder. "Yes," she admitted. 

Cardan's fingers moved closer to her center. "Do you make yourself come, Jude?"

She shook her head no, breathless from his closeness. "I-" she gulped as his finger brushed against her lower lips. 

"Hm?" Cardan murmured.

"I haven't made myself come," she said, the breath rushing out of her. 

"Good girl for telling me," he praised. His fingers stilled. "I'm going to make you come. Would you like that?"

Her breath shuddered. "Yes," she said, "please, Cardan."

His fingers suddenly slid through her slick folds, rubbing at the little nub at the top that shot tingles through her body. Jude felt wanton as she spread her legs wide for Cardan, wanting more of his touch. Her wetness coated his fingers, and she could hear the lewd noises it made as he stroked her steadily. Without a warning, he slid one of his long fingers inside her, and she gasped as he curled it forward. Her back arched off the bed as he rubbed his finger against a spot on her walls, and she grew impossibly wetter. His other hand wrapped under her butt, and he withdrew his finger, to her utter dismay.

"Remember the rose wine I asked you to bring?" Cardan asked nonchalantly, as if Jude wasn't squirming, naked, under him.

"What?" she gasped for breath, confused.

"I think," Cardan smirked, "I'd rather drink you instead." And before Jude could even whimper yes, his mouth was between her legs, licking and sucking as his finger curled back inside her, and the hand behind her butt lifted her to his face. Jude's hand pulled at his hair and scratched down his back, her legs curled around his head as he drank her like he was dying of thirst.

Jude felt so good, better than she'd ever felt when she'd tried to touch herself, and the good feeling suddenly started to grow more and more.

"Oh my god," she gasped, "Cardan, please, don't stop, please!" 

She could feel his signature smirk against her core, and he gently slid in a second finger, filling her tightly and resuming his beckoning motion. His tongue and lips worked steadily on her nub, and he licked up and down her slit, sometimes pushing his tongue inside her next to his experienced fingers. The good feeling grew so strong between her legs that she could hardly stand it, and with every motion Cardan made between her legs, it threatened every second to overflow. 

She was panting like she'd run twelve miles, one hand clutching at the sheets that smelled so much like him, the other knotted in his hair, when he said, sinfully against her slickness, "Come for me, Jude."

The feeling exploded like fire throughout her whole body, and her legs shook hard as they wrapped around his head. It felt so good she couldn't help but moan, and he still didn't stop as she clenched in spasms around his fingers, rubbing steadily, bringing her down from the euphoria. As she came down, he kept massaging her with his fingers, slowing, her nub too sensitive for his mouth as he watched her, licking her wetness off his lips swollen from kissing her. 

Jude's fingers loosened in his hair, and he slid his fingers out. She watched him languidly as he sucked her juices off his hands like she was the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted. Her whole body felt so, so relaxed, the aftershocks still rippling inside her core with pleasant little zings. 

"Cardan," she breathed as he just sat there, looking at her with stars in his eyes.

"Mhm?" he hummed, rubbing her thighs. 

"I want to make you feel good too," she said, bashful even after he had just eaten her like his last meal. 

"Do you, now?" Cardan said. His words rasped from pure lust, and even after coming that hard, Jude felt a pang between her legs at his voice.

She sat up, shyly reaching for his belt, as she said, "I just wanna be good for you." 

It was his turn to have to catch his breath as he watched the most snarky, guarded, mistrustful girl he had ever known look at him with so much trust in her eyes he thought he might fall apart. 

"You are so good for me, sweet Jude," he whispered. Her weapon-calloused fingers deftly slid his belt out of the loops and unbuttoned his pants. She paused, some of the nervousness from earlier sneaking back in, as she remembered just how many beautiful, experienced fey girls he'd been with before, each of them so capable of pleasing him. How could she ever compare?

Somehow, he read right through her insecurity. "I promise, Jude, that anything you do to me will be exactly what I want." 

Jude nodded, and he helped her slip off his pants. Of course, he wasn't wearing underwear, she noted with a mental eye roll, but honestly she couldn't take her eyes off his hard length. His breathing was steady, and the only thing betraying his eagerness for her touch was his tail, released to whip about in anxious desire. 

Jude slid off the bed, tugging him to follow her. "I want to be on my knees for you," she breathed, any last bit of power she was holding onto vanishing at her words. Cardan swallowed, his eyes half-lidded as he watched his seneschal kneel before him, so ready to please him. 

He gathered her hair, falling out of its intricate braids, in his hands, so it was out of her face. His tail coiled around the back of her head, brushing against her cheek as she grasped him firmly and took him into her mouth. 

She swallowed him as deep as she could without beginning to gag, her tongue rubbing up and down his length as she moved her head with her hands. His fingers in her hair were clenching, and as she took him deeper the second time, he moaned, his tail wrapping tight around her arm, pulling her closer. She honestly didn't know what she was doing, but instinct seemed to take over for her as she sucked him eagerly. He was rock hard in her mouth, and his breathing was now choppy as he murmured her name. 

Cardan watched Jude with his cock in her pretty little mouth and thought he might burst then and there. He was trying so, so hard not to fuck into her throat as she swallowed him better than he could have ever imagined. His hands had a death grip in her hair, and when she looked up at him, licking him like candy with a grin on her face, he groaned and grabbed his bedpost with one hand, strands of her hair wrapped around his fingers. 

"Jude, waitwaitwait," he panted, pushing her away. She looked a little hurt and started to shutter her emotions up again, but he was quick to grab her chin and make her look at him. 

She wiped her mouth petulantly. "Was I not good enough for you?" she said, her tone becoming sharp.

Cardan laughed breathlessly. "No, Jude, you were perfect. Too perfect," he added.

"Then why'd you stop me?" she said, crossing her arms even as he pulled her arms back apart. 

"I wanted to know how far you wanted to go," he said, crouching to her eye level. "If you want to go all the way." 

¨Oh," Jude said. "Oh, um..." Unwanted fear rushed back in, and Cardan must have seen her hesitancy, because he quickly reassured her. 

"Whatever you want to do is okay," he said. "Understand?"

"Maybe not today," she said quietly, a little ashamed that maybe she was letting him down. 

"Hey," Cardan said sternly, "I said it's okay. Look at me and tell me what you want to do."

Jude glanced back at him. "I want you to come in my mouth." She took a deep, steadying breath. "I want to make you feel how you made me feel."

His length throbbed, still ridiculously hard that it almost hurt. Cardan had never been turned on like this, so intensely and singularly from one girl. "And how did I make you feel, Jude?" he said hoarsely.

Her fingers wrapped around him. "So, so, so good," Jude whispered, and slid him into her mouth. She moved even faster and deeper than before, and he couldn't help but thrust his hips into her mouth as she tongued the underside of his cock. One hand again wrapped in her hair, his other gripped the back of her head, moving with her. 

"Good, Jude, good girl," he breathed, about to explode from her wet mouth swallowing him. She looked up at him, kneeling in front of the High King, and as she sucked him deeper, he moaned and came breathing her name, over and over.

Jude could feel him coming in her mouth, warm and salty, but tasting like fruit at the same time. She swallowed it all, until his grip in her hair loosened, and he reached down to wipe the corner of her mouth with his thumb.

"I think I like you at my feet," he said quietly.

Jude could feel herself flushing again, but a sudden sick feeling lurched in her stomach as she knelt, vulnerable and bare, in front of him. The anxiety clutched at her lungs and she stumbled to her feet as Cardan reached for her to steady her balance. She snatched her arms away, and the hurt look that flashed across his face was quickly hidden beneath a stone mask as both their walls slammed up again.

"What?" he said in a flat tone. "Fun's over, Jude dearest?"

"Fuck you," she spat at him, suddenly ferociously angry with him. Ferociously angry at herself for being vulnerable.

"Oh, I will," Cardan smirked dryly, his eyes empty of his earlier softness.

Jude ignored him as she snatched the discarded dress off the floor and pulled it roughly over her head.

He rolled his eyes at her and leaned against the bedpost, tail whipping in irritation.

The moonlight grey dress back on, its shimmering fabric somehow looked duller than before. She threw her hair and messy braids into a bun, and slipped on her shoes as he stood there watching her leave. She didn't look back.


	3. control issues

Jude swallowed back the tears she felt at the back of her eyes and throat as she walked fast through the hallways to her room. It was all a mistake. How could she have been so stupid? She was so vulnerable with the one person she should trust the least. He'd called her "good girl" and choked her and seen her completely naked -- oh god, she had given him so much power over her. She had worked so hard and schemed and fought to be in the position she was now, and she risked it all for a stupid hook-up that probably didn't even matter to him. Cardan could have anyone he wanted, and now that she was checked off his list, she was sure he'd move on to better girls. Stupid. Just stupid, she chastised herself, a tear slipping down her cheek as she reached her rooms. She angrily brushed it away. Now was not the time for tears. 

She had to get it through Cardan's head that he held no power over her, that anything that happened that night would never again, that she was in charge and he was just a pawn. She took a shuddering breath as she looked in the mirror above her dresser and saw the marks from his mouth trailing from her neck. She ripped off the beautiful, terrible dress and threw it in a pile in the corner, barely glancing as it landed, too focused on the bruises that showed that his lips had kissed her whole body. Stupid, to let him hold that power over her, she thought. Stupid. She traced the red and purple spots anyway, counting each one with her finger, remembering how it felt to let go of her iron fisted control for just one moment. 

She turned away from the mirror. Stupid.

She went to bed with the sunlight shimmering rainbows off the grey dress on the floor. 

* * *

Cardan drank himself to oblivion after she left, strongly vexed without knowing why he cared so much. He woke up the next day with some faerie girl naked in his bed, and decided that Jude could deal with the court herself that day. She was the one with all the power anyway. He tried to push the thought of her out of his mind as he ran his hand down the back of his bedmate. Even until he finished, the fey girl's head between his legs, he couldn't help but wish that it was Jude at his feet.

* * *

Jude sat in court alone that afternoon, neatly dressed in another new outfit, a practical dress with slits down the middle for ease of movement and, as always, lots of hidden pockets. Cardan hadn't bothered showing up this afternoon. He was probably drunk off his ass, sleeping with the next fey girl that giggled in his direction. Good riddance. She crossed her arms and slouched, just enough that no one but her would notice. Today was going to be long.

* * *

"Seneschal!" a voice called as Jude was leaving court after being peppered with sly questions about the whereabouts of the High King, with an extra dose of behind-the-hands tittering for some reason. She sighed and turned.

An elegant looking court fey fluttered his hand at her as he scurried in her direction. "Good afternoon, Seneschal, would you take these documents to the High King for him to peruse?"

Jude grabbed the hastily offered papers, with a tight smile, knowing she would end up looking over them as she always did. "Yes, I'll drop them off this evening." 

The faerie scuttled off and she left, finally heading to the peace and quiet of her rooms. As she walked, she looked through the pages disinterestedly, until one phrase in particular caught her eye. 

"An offer of the hand in marriage to the princess of the Highlands?" she muttered to herself. "What the hell are we going to do about that?" She corrected herself mentally. What the hell was she going to do about that. Her power, her responsibility. She sighed wearily and rubbed her eyes, not looking forward to another night of making tough decisions.

* * *

The faerie girl long gone after Cardan kicked her out for annoying him, he sat alone on his bed, surprisingly sober. Why did Jude pull away the night before? Why did he not stop her from leaving? He knew she had trouble letting anyone else be in control, let alone himself. They both had issues with vulnerability, but her refusal to release control was so incredibly worse. He remembered how easily she softened at his touch, the freedom from making decisions lightening her normally strained eyes. He remembered how her calloused, cold exterior melted away with his hand around her neck, and the thought itched at him until he decided to do something about it. 

* * *

It was almost three in the morning when she heard a knock at her door. She was drifting to sleep trying to draft an official response to the offer, and the sound startled her awake. They knocked again. "One second," she called, and yawning, went to answer the door.

There stood Cardan, frowning at her.

"What do you want?" she said with a grimace.

"Charming as ever, Jude darling," he said with a sneer. 

She waited for his response to her question, eyebrow raised. 

"Can we talk?" he finally sighed, looking generally inconvenienced to be there and not drunk off Nevermore with faerie girls in his lap. 

Jude sighed also, looking generally inconvenienced to be disturbed in the middle of her nap in the middle of her document perusal. "Fine. But you can't stay long, I'm busy."

Cardan slid through the crack in the door she presented to him and sat in her chair, at her desk. She narrowed her eyes at the disrespect. 

"What are you writing?" he asked nonchalantly, picking up the paper she was drafting on.

She snatched the letter out of his hand. "Why do you care?"

He sat backwards in the chair facing her. "A little birdie told me a princess of the Highlands would like my hand in marriage."

Jude pursed her lips. "And? Obviously you're going to decline. You can't be getting married to some random princess during our agreement."

Cardan shrugged gracefully. "Of course, I'm not an idiot."

Jude put the letter back on the desk, a little farther from him than before. "So what did you want? Can we get it over with so I can go to sleep?"

He squinted at her. "Maybe, if you'll be cooperative."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" snapped Jude. "Unlike you, I have actual responsibilities to take care of and can't spend all day fucking girls and drinking alcohol."

Cardan raised his eyebrows. "Ah, so you're into girls now?"

Jude hissed indignantly at him. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

He pointed at the ground. "Sit down."

She stared at him in disbelief. "No? What the hell are you getting at?"

He slid off the chair onto the floor and patted the spot in front of him. "Sit down, please, Madam Seneschal Judith." 

She rolled her eyes at him. "My name is not Judith." He waited, still patting the ground in front of him. "Is this some sort of sick power play?" she asked sharply, "'Make Jude sit on the floor with me because we're equals now?' Well, we're not. Maybe I'm running out of time on your oath, but I've still got you under my command and you know it." 

Cardan paused during her rant, and patted the floor again the second she finished. "It's not getting any warmer down here, so will you please just shut up and sit down?" 

She gaped at him, then snapped her mouth shut, grabbed a pillow from her sofa, and sat on the floor, albeit three inches higher than him just to prove a point. 

He smirked and rolled his eyes. "I'd like to talk about your control issues."

"I don't have control issues," Jude retorted quickly.

"Well, that is pretty much what I thought you would say, dear Jude," said Cardan, propping his chin up on his knees. 

Jude gave him the side-eye. "Okay, I'll get to the point, since apparently you won't. Last night was a mistake."

"Aha!" he exclaimed. "Now that is where you are both right and wrong." Jude sighed and gestured for him to go on, which he did. "Last night was a mistake because I should have made sure you were okay way earlier in the evening. Last night was a mistake because I didn't make you stay and talk about why you shut down and shut me out. Last night was a mistake because we both went way too far, way too fast," he paused, looking toward Jude for confirmation that she was listening. She was sitting quietly, looking at her hands folded in her lap, so he figured that was probably the best he was going to get. 

"Last night was not a mistake," he said gently, "because you gave up some control." 

Jude twisted her mouth and looked up at her ceiling studiously. 

Cardan continued, soft-spoken, "You hold the weight of an entire kingdom on your shoulders. You control every official decision that I make as High King, whether people know it or not. You are intelligent, capable, and manipulative." Jude scoffed at the last adjective with a twitch of her lips that almost resembled a smile.

He laughed at her, "You are so manipulative." Cardan kept talking, the seriousness reentering his tone, "But that is how you survive at court. You weasel your way into power, and then you hold onto that control with a death grip, scared the next person will come along and take it from you. But I can't take your control from you. I physically can't. I am under your command until my oath expires or you figure out some nasty way to trick me into being your pawn a little longer," he rolled his eyes at her as he spoke. 

"I know that," said Jude.

"Then what are you so afraid of?" whispered Cardan, reaching out to gently brush the back of his hand against her cheek.

Jude smacked his hand away, albeit half-heartedly. "I don't want anyone to see me as weak."

Cardan shook his hand in mock pain. "I don't think anyone sees you as weak, trust me."

Jude frowned. "I'm serious."

He got solemn again. "I know you are. And it's a lot of weight to carry on your own. Let me help you."

She scoffed. "Help me by doing what? Seducing me every time I need you to sign a document? No thanks."

"Don't kid yourself, Jude," he warned, "you were under no obligation to come to my chambers. You hold the control right?" he asked. "So why did you come?" 

Jude opened her mouth to answer, but he interrupted her. "You came because you needed someone else to take control, even if just for a little bit. You came because the thought of not knowing what I would make you do gave you chills. You came because you hold all the control anyway, so why not let go a little bit and let me take care of you?"

She stewed on his answer for a moment. "But if I can tell you to stop at any point, and you have to listen, that's not really giving up control anyway."

He laughed. "Jude, in any situation that someone says to stop, the other person has to listen. If they don't, they are violating you. It's not that different from any other relationship."

"Relationship, huh?" she said, one eyebrow pointed. 

"It doesn't have to be serious," he said softly. "I just felt how relaxed and trusting you were with me last night when you let go of your need to control everything. Didn't it feel nice?"

She blushed at the double meaning behind his words. "Yeah. It did. But I can't be like that around you all the time. It just won't work."

Cardan leaned back on his hands. "I never said all the time. Just whenever you want. Whenever you decide. You have the control, remember? You're just letting go in small doses." 

Jude bit her lip, thinking. "We'll see. I need to sleep on it."

"That's fine," Cardan said. "Also that shirt does not cover the bruises on your neck at all. By the way."

"Aghhh!" Jude yelled, reaching behind herself to grab a couch pillow and throw it at him, which he gracefully avoided. "That's why I need you to come to court! Nobody said anything to me. Wait, was that why they were asking about you so much?" She stormed off to the mirror to glare at the marks he made. "Stupid territorial fey," she muttered from the other room. Cardan decided now was a good time to make his exit.

"Goodnight, Jude," he called back when he was safely out of throwing range.

She huffed at him in response.


	4. a lovely evening run

Jude woke up in a particularly stressed mood the next week. Some fey festival was coming up, and she always tried her hardest to make sure innocent humans stayed out of nasty faerie hands, which was quite a difficult job, as that was most faeries' main source of entertainment. The official declining of the princess of the Highlands’ offer was more of an ordeal than she thought it would be, as the princess remained quite offended that anyone would dare turn her down, prompting Jude to hurriedly patch together a fake note from the High King that while he really appreciated her offer, he was really just more into men. Cardan shrugged when she told him this, saying it really didn't matter to him. He even offered to host and participate in an all male orgy for further proof to the princess of the Highlands, which Jude hastily shot down, to Cardan's verbal disappointment. He then somehow ended up throwing one anyway, which was a mess to work around. It's hard to get anything done when hundreds of male fey are just going at it in every direction around you. 

All in all, Jude just wanted the day to be over. As she arrived in court that afternoon, Cardan already had a group of particularly rowdy faeries crowding around him, angering the country fey that were waiting in line to petition the High King. After shooing away the loud bunch and placating the country fey, Cardan didn't have a hair out of place (well, no more than the usual messy sex hair he always seemed to have), while Jude's braid was falling out and her cheeks were pink with frustration. Cardan cut his eyes at her disastrous appearance. "Is this a new look for you, seneschal? It's quite unique."

"Shut up, Cardan," she gritted between her teeth. A nearby nixie gave her an askance look, to which Jude sweetly smiled at and corrected herself. "I mean, my dear High King, Your Royal Majesty, forever may he live." The nixie nodded in agreement and flitted off. Cardan nodded in agreement too, and when nobody was looking, Jude pinched him hard on the soft spot of his arm. 

"Ouch!" he hissed. Jude pretended not to notice. 

The afternoon went by so extremely slowly, with every single faerie having the most complicated or inane requests. Cardan was no help, per usual, and was even less help because he kept flirting with the bodyguard standing near the throne. The bodyguard seemed flattered, but extremely nervous, and he kept looking to Jude with pleading "help me!" looks that Jude just did not have time for. Cardan then received four more proposals, all from fey males, for which Jude would have to figure out individual nonoffending rejections. Cardan was very flattered. Jude was very annoyed.

Finally, the day was over, and Jude was so tired of dealing with Cardan's antics that she got up and left without a goodbye. She went straight to her rooms and fell asleep so quickly that she didn't even change out of her court clothes. When she woke up, it was oddly quiet. She peeked in the hallway, and nobody seemed to be even close by. She looked in her desk calendar of random fey holidays and was not too surprised to see that there was an outdoor revel by the seashore celebrating the Undersea fey. The Undersea fey were particularly known for their extravagant parties, so she was sure almost everyone in the court would be attending. Lucky for her, she thought. She really needed a quiet night. 

There was a knock on the door. Jude sighed. Just her luck. 

She opened the door, but no one was there: just a satin-wrapped package on the hallway floor with a folded piece of paper tucked through the bow. She looked once more down the hallway, shrugged, and brought the package inside. 

She read the note while walking to sit down on her bed.

* * *

_ Dearest Jude Duarte, _

_ I bought this for you the day you brought me those sketches to look over and sign for. I hope you like it. I designed it for you personally. If you have considered the agreement that we discussed last week, and have decided favorably, I have a game I'd like to play with you. If you want to play, wear the dress and come to my chambers at 2am sharp. It won't be like the last time in the ways that you may be thinking. If you'd like a hint to what game I am proposing, here are two: _

_ 1) Conveniently, there is a revel some miles away at the seashore, and most of the court shall be  _

_ in attendance tonight, minus you and I, and some unlucky servants. _

_ 2) The dress is perfect for a lovely evening run _

_ I hope to see you tonight, but if I don't, I hope you enjoy the dress nonetheless, _

_ Formally, _

_ Cardan Greenbriar, High King of Elfhame _

* * *

Jude set the note beside her, intrigued by the idea, but still not sure what she had decided on. She opened the satin package as if there may be a bomb inside. Her fingers brushed navy blue silk and she pulled out a long gown with a fitted bust embroidered with pearls. She couldn't see it in its entirety, so she quickly stripped and pulled it over her head, doing up the pearl buttons and going to the mirror. The dress stopped just above her ankles, with a slit from the bottom of the skirt to the very top of her hipbone, dangerously close to flashing somebody if the gown had not been tailored to her measurements. The material was dark blue silk, with patterns of white moons and golden stars at the top, fading to tropical birds in clouds on royal blue silk, fading finally to light blue silk with whimsical looking fruits and plants. It was absolutely beautiful. 

She turned to admire the back, and discovered with a gasp of astonishment that any movement she made brought the enchanted scenery to life. She twirled, and the moons orbited the twinkling stars, clouds changing shape and color as the sun rose and set, birds flying through the atmosphere, and flowers blooming with fruit and leaves and color. The second her skirts stopped moving, the scenery was still, frozen however they were positioned last. Jude spun and jumped and ran, watching the scenery change over and over, never quite the same as it was last. She was surprised to see the dress was indeed quite easy to run in, though she had no clue what Cardan's intentions were, if not blatantly seducing her like that last time.

Jude glanced at the clock on the wall. 1:50am. She had ten minutes to decide what she wanted to do, and it took five minutes to walk to his chambers, three if she ran. She had no idea what was going to happen, and if she was being honest with herself, she was a little scared. But it wasn't a bad scared -- it was the kind of scared you get when you jump off a cliff into a calm lake. The hardest part was getting off the ledge, but once you are falling, you know your only option is to land. And the landing is safe, in deep water, with gentle currents. Even though you're scared, the thrill is worth the fear.

1:55am.

She walked out her door, and the click behind her let her know she was falling.

* * *

2:00am

Cardan didn't expect her to show up, especially after how annoyed she seemed with him that afternoon in court. He was prepared for a solo night in as soon as the clock hit 2:01am. She had one minute to knock on his door, or he was just going to drink until he fell asleep, which probably sounds sadder than it was to him. 

Thirty seconds left. He grabbed a flask of golden Nevermore, prepared to swig it very soon.

Someone knocked, very quietly, hesitantly, at the door. 

He smirked to himself before putting the flask down and strolling to the door.

He swung it open with Jude's fist in the air. "Good evening, Jude. I see you liked my dress."

Jude smiled nervously, and shifted from one foot to the other, causing the characters on the dress to move just a tad. "It's the prettiest thing I've ever seen," she said, somehow more nervous than she'd ever been around Cardan before. She eyed him subtly, trying to figure out what they were doing, but his outfit gave no hints: he was wearing all black, with the shirt only half-buttoned in typical Cardan fashion. Even his normal gold earrings were all black. She had to admit, it looked good on him; the black of his eyes, hair, and clothes made his pale skin glow. 

She would never tell him this. 

Cardan interrupted her thoughts. "Are you ready to play?" he said with a crooked smile and dark eyes.

"Um, what exactly are we doing?" Jude said, shifting uncomfortably again, only noticeable from the dress's reaction. Cardan leaned against the doorway, not letting her in, so clearly the game was not happening in familiar territory. 

"I would like to test our respective senses. As a human in this court, you are fast, wily, and know your way around every part of the castle. As a faerie in this court, I am faster, with better senses and reflexes, able to see in the dark and hear from long distances away."

Jude could see where this was going. 

Cardan continued. "I will give you a ten minute head start. You can go anywhere in the castle besides our separate chambers. If I catch you, I do what I want with you. If you make it for exactly one hour, sharp, you will win and I will accept a reasonable punishment in turn. Do you understand?"

Jude was already desperately planning routes throughout the castle, secret tunnels, hidden alcoves, servant staircases, and unused chambers. She knew that the only thing on her side was her quick thinking and her knowledge of the castle.

Cardan snapped his fingers in front of her face. "I said, do you understand, Jude?" 

Her eyes flitted past his, and he could sense that her anxiety was growing bigger than her anticipation. "Jude," he said in a softer voice, and she looked at him, face still more shuttered than he'd like. "Remember it's just a game," he said. She nodded, but still looked nervous. "Remember I can't harm you," he reminded her. "Remember you can say stop if it's too much. Remember you have the ultimate control, but for now, you agree to give it up for the game. I'll ask again, Jude. Do you understand?"

She said "yes" with a little more calm in her voice, making eye contact with him. He could only see determination and not fear in her eyes. 

"You have ten minutes, Jude," he murmured as he tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Start running now." He closed the door.


	5. face your kingdom

Jude ran as fast as she could. She wasn't sure how she'd know when the ten minutes was up, because the castle was very dark without most of its population and clocks were considered silly in an environment where there were no consequences for any actions, or times beyond sleeping and partying. She just ran as fast and as far as she could, hoping to use distance from him to her advantage. When she was pretty sure around nine minutes had passed, she took stock of her surroundings, in the East Wing of the castle, the oldest one and therefore the one with the most secrets. Already she could remember 5 different hiding spots or passageways within ten feet of where she stood. 

The bell tower suddenly gonged loudly, making her jump from how tense she was. She guessed Cardan had commanded a servant to stand up there and hit the bell for the two important times: when Cardan started chasing, and when she could stop running. Cardan would be hot on her trail soon.

She spun around and dashed into a passageway wedged between two vent slots that were just perfectly Jude-sized. Unfortunately that probably meant they were Cardan-sized too, as all the fey were slim. She sneezed into her elbow as a piece of dust went up her nose, but tried to be as quiet as possible, even so far away from Cardan's rooms - the West Wing, the opposite side of the castle. She tiptoed quickly through the thousand year old tunnel, pausing at an intersection to get her bearings. She slipped into an unused maid's chamber from behind a tapestry, cursing silently at the amount of dust that followed her out. 

Jude then opened the tiny closet that hid a set of servant's stairs, leading to the kitchen. She rushed down the stairs into the lower levels, the tiny staircase converging with many other tiny ones to form one big servant's staircase that was the main one utilized in this wing. She almost gave a scullery maid a heart attack as she barrelled down the stairs, into the servant's dining room, and behind the mirror to join a passageway that headed North. Halfway to her next tunnel, she paused, thinking she heard something in the distance. The sound didn't occur again, but Cardan's rose oil scent drifted through the unventilated tunnel, meaning he had been or still was close by. She pivoted and rushed to the nearest tapestry exit into a very much occupied, but currently empty due to the revel, set of rooms. From there, she pulled a hidden lever that revealed a compartment with a hidden ladder going straight up. She closed the tiny door and started climbing. 

When Jude reached the top, she was in the upper level conservatory under a potted plant. The strong smell of roses made her panic, but she realized they were planted everywhere in this section of the greenhouse. Still, she felt like one of her senses was masked, so she ran to the window to see the bell tower clock, one of the only timepieces in the kingdom. It had only been thirty minutes. She quickly peered out the windows, trying to see if he would walk by any glass on the lower levels, but to no avail. 

Luckily for her legs, there was a working dumbwaiter that led right to the indoor stables. Jude pulled herself down and stepped out to the comforting smell of hay and horse feed. The horses were asleep, but the two closest to the dumbwaiter nickered reassuringly at her. She smiled and took just a tiny second to scratch their noses. The barn door creaked on its hinges and her smile slipped away as she could smell his rose oil from the other end of the barn. She clambered into the stall with the sweeter looking of the two horses, and crouched between his legs. He lowered his head to peer at her under his belly, but when she shushed him away, he apparently decided she wasn't a threat, but just a weird human girl.

The aisle of the barn was very dimly lit, as the horses still slept on a human schedule. The stalls were pretty dark, but she knew Cardan could see her if he happened to look in between the horse's legs. She also hoped the smell of the horses would be strong enough to cover her human scent as she wasn't wearing any sort of fragrance. 

Cardan's footsteps echoed down the aisle, several more horses waking up and nickering at him, causing a chain reaction of sleepy snuffling heads to peek out of the stall doors. She could hear him murmuring to them as he walked, and as if they could sense their High King, they fell silent as he passed them. He paused by the dumbwaiter, not even ten feet away from her hiding spot under the horse, and she could hear him sniff the air, clearly smelling her. A clang from the nearby arena echoed through the stables, and she heard him rush off to investigate. She gave an apologetic pat to the horse and scrambled towards the opposite end of the stables, slipping through the cracked door without a sound and hastening through the hallway to the nearest tunnel. 

Jude knew she still had to last twenty minutes, and he seemed to be hot on her trail. She changed direction so many times she almost got lost herself, climbed up every secret staircase and down every ladder, mixing up her path in hopes of confusing Cardan if he stumbled across her scent. 

She dashed by a still-functioning human grandfather clock, which promised that she only needed to last five more minutes to win the game. Jude had an idea and dashed through a short passageway to reach the throne room where they held court in the afternoon. Two minutes left, and she thought it would be hilarious to win in the place where she held the most power. She slipped into the huge empty room, feeling exposed but with no Cardan in sight. The bell tower visible through the side window said she had only one minute. She stepped out of the passageway towards the throne and Cardan strolled in the side entrance to the room, directly across from her. She froze, hoping he wouldn't see her, but he already knew she was there.

Thirty seconds left, and she sprinted towards the main entrance, hoping to just be fast enough to escape him a little longer. Fear beat in her heart; even though she knew that she had the ultimate control, it was hard to remember that with a predator chasing her, very much the prey. She could hear him ten feet behind her, barely exerting any energy to keep up. She was almost to the end, ten seconds left, and as she was about to run out the main entrance to the sound of the bell tower, 

Cardan easily slipped in front of her and grabbed her arms behind her back, flipping her so that they both faced the distant throne. The bell tower rang, and her heavy breathing saturated her lungs with his smell. He held her hands with one of his, the other arm over her chest holding her to him. She couldn't help but be a little scared, completely helpless as she felt. He bit her bare shoulder where the strap of dress he made for her had slipped to the side, and Jude flinched at his sharp teeth on her skin. He held her like that, possessively, as the bell tower rang ten times and then stopped. Her chest pushed against his arm as she tried to catch her breath, and she just knew he was watching her bound breasts rise and fall. 

"I almost did it," she whispered sadly, and he nibbled her ear.

"Not at all, darling Jude," he whispered back, "I was right behind you the whole time."

"But that's not fair!" she pouted, her fear settling into anticipation as she remembered it was Cardan, who couldn't (wouldn't) hurt her. 

He laughed against her neck, kissing where he had just sunk his teeth in. "I never said it was a fair game, did I?" he murmured into her skin. 

Still restrained against him, Jude's heartbeat began to slow, and she waited for him to tell her what he wanted. While he held her tight, he waited for her to relax her tense posture, to give in to her helplessness, to let him take control. 

When she felt like putty in his arms, he kissed her ear. "Good girl," he said proudly as she leaned into him. He gently let go of her wrists and she didn't move a muscle. He stepped away from her back and circled to her front, where her eyes were clear and trusting. He smiled at her, and before she could react, he threw her over his shoulder. 

Jude did not appreciate being upside down, and threw a bit of a fit in the minute or two it took him to walk back to the throne. "Put me down! I'm perfectly capable of walking, Cardan!"

Every time she protested, Cardan smacked her easily accessible butt with his free hand until she figured out that she should just shut up. When she was quiet and he made it back to the throne with her on his shoulder, he carefully slid her back down and helped her get her balance again. They stood facing each other in the dark on a stage in front of an empty court, and Cardan merely studied her until she felt self-conscious about the dust in her hair.

"I'm sorry about the dress," she ventured, knowing it was covered in dirt. 

"Don't worry about the dress, Jude," Cardan said. "I'll have it cleaned by tomorrow evening."

"Okay..." she sneezed, and a fine layer of dust seemed to rise and settle with the movement. 

Cardan stared at her like he was waiting for something, Jude looked behind her confusedly, but he just held his hand out. 

"What?" she sneezed again.

"I obviously can't get the dress cleaned while you're still wearing it, Jude," he said with a smirk.

Jude glanced around the huge, empty room. "You want me to take it off....here?"

He just raised his eyebrow, hand still extended. Her pulse started beating fast again, but mostly with the fear that someone would walk in and see her, the seneschal, naked in front of the High King. 

Like he could read her thoughts, Cardan said, "Trust me, or don't. Make up your mind, Jude."

She made her decision and held his eyes as she unbuttoned the pearls at her breasts. She lifted her arms up. "Will you help me take your dress off, Cardan?"

His eyes dark, he slipped the silk over her head, folding the dress and placing it on the seneschal's chair. She wasn't wearing a single slip of clothing underneath. The room was cool from the huge size, and the breeze pebbled her nipples and made her want to cross her arms and hide from embarrassment at her nakedness. She resisted the urge, knowing Cardan would only uncross them anyway. She watched him as he swallowed, trailing his eyes down her body.

"You still haven't told me what I have to do," prodded Jude, scared yet interested in what he would tell her to do next. 

Cardan sat on the throne, somehow more commanding than he ever was with a crown upon his head. "Sit on my lap," he said, "and face your kingdom." 

Jude settled bottom first on his lap, the contrast of him fully clothed and her nudity surprisingly arousing. She sat with her legs together, hands in her lap, but he gently wrapped her arms backwards around his neck, and then pulled apart her legs as far as the throne would allow. The draft blew against her hot center, and she felt so extremely exposed, spread wide on the king's lap for the imaginary court to see. Her cheeks flushed at the thought, the heat going straight between her legs.

"What are you thinking about?" Cardan whispered in her ear, hands still holding her legs apart. She stayed quiet, too embarrassed to say. He whispered again, "Are you thinking about my court watching you naked on my lap? Are you thinking about them watching me spread your legs and expose how dripping wet you are? Are you thinking about them watching me finger you until you come on my lap?" Jude had been, yes, but she wasn't going to say. The words he said just burned her core hotter and hotter, and she whimpered as she thought about his fingers inside her again.

"Will you be a good girl and hold your legs open so wide for me, Jude?" Cardan stroked up her inner thigh and she involuntarily jerked. "Will you, Jude?¨ he breathed into her neck.

"Yes, Cardan," Jude whispered shyly, still unsure of their dynamic but willing to trust him. 

He let go of her legs, and she kept them open as he asked. He hands slid up her stomach, and she whimpered in annoyance when his palms skipped around her breasts just to hold her more tightly against him. Something about being held naked just triggered something primal in Jude, and she felt a rush of heat against her thigh as her wetness began to drip down. 

"Bring your arms down," he said, and she did. He placed each hand holding an arm of the throne, then lifted her legs so they hooked over the arms. "Now stay until I tell you it's fine to move." Jude nodded and his palms stroked up and down her sides as she took some deep, steadying breaths. When she had settled, he brushed his hands over her breasts, gripping one in each hand, massaging them, and playing with her hard nipples. She wanted to grind against something so badly, but just the air touched between her legs and she began to whimper as Cardan slid his hands down her belly. 

"Are you going to keep your legs open for me?" he whispered as his fingers got closer to her soaking wet core. 

"Mhm," Jude nodded in a lustful daze. One of his hands slipped between her legs and covered her possessively. 

"Mine," Cardan growled in her ear, and when he felt her get wetter at his possessiveness, he bit her neck and sucked until the skin broke. He licked the tiny pricks of blood away so gently as he said, again, "Mine."

As she whimpered at the word, he started to rub his whole hand over her center, getting her wetness coated all over her inner thighs and his fingers. She ground up against him, wanting more pressure, but he took his hand away every time she moved, laughing as she made desperate crying noises. He pushed her frustration limit until he could tell she would genuinely cry if he kept teasing her, so he pressed hard against her pubic bone, grinding his palm against her clit and savoring the gasps she made as she moved with him. 

"Think about the whole court watching you rut against my hand, Jude," he murmured. She moaned so gently that he wondered why he hadn't kissed her soft mouth breathless yet, and with his free hand, he grabbed her jaw and turned her face so he could feel her lips against his. She kissed him desperately, tongue and teeth clashing, and he forced her to slow down, to feel every part of his kiss. He licked inside her mouth and then pulled away to tell her he was going to lick her between her legs just like that. 

His hand still ground against her, but as he pushed down, he slid his middle finger deep inside her, curling and pressing against her g-spot. Her legs were shaking, and Cardan whispered a warning in her ear, that if she didn't keep them open he would stop. She was dripping wet all over her thighs.

"I'm going to touch you a little differently now, darling Jude," he whispered as he slowed his hand.

"Okay," she murmured, and when he caught her eyes, all he saw was soft trust that he was in control. He peppered kisses on her neck, and breathed "good girl" into her pulse, slow and steady.

Cardan rubbed his middle finger and ring finger through her wetness until they were slippery. "Tell me if I hurt you too strongly, understand?" he told her. Jude said "mhm" while nodding her head and rutting against his hand. He slid his index finger down, down, and she felt a momentary pang of shock as he circled the second tight hole between her legs, rubbing it with the wetness dripping there. She tensed, and he could feel it, so he whispered, "Relax, shhh," until she melted again. He pressed gently against the pucker, and she felt him slide so easily into her bottom with his lubed finger. It was an entirely weird sensation, and she felt embarrassed that he touched her there, but then he slipped his middle finger in her core and pressed against her walls and she didn't care what he was doing as long as he kept doing it.

Jude arched against his body as his palm rubbed her clit and his fingers curled in two different places. She could feel them separated by such a thin, sensitive layer of flesh, and every time Cardan moved his hand, she could feel herself building. He slid in his pointer finger to join his middle finger and the tightness of all three in such a small space made her grasp his hand to slow the sensation down. He immediately slapped her bottom with his other hand, hard and she squeaked and quickly put her hand back on the arm. He kept fingering her, pushing deeper and deeper, and she whispered "harder", so he fingerfucked her fast and deep and hard until she was writhing on his lap, whimpering "please, please, please...." 

She was almost there, almost over the edge, and that third finger in between her bottom sent dark waves of pleasure through her, so unlike anything she'd felt before, until she came, hard, with an orgasm so dark and sweet she was clenching hard around his hand with her inside walls for twenty straight seconds, just coming and coming on his fingers. It was so, so difficult, but her legs stayed wide open, and the thought of his subjects watching him curl his fingers inside her made her come a second time, shuddering against Cardan's body. He pulled out of her holes and just rubbed her up and down, slowly with his whole hand, and waves of post-orgasm pleasure just melted through her until she was barely conscious on his lap. 

Still massaging between her legs, Cardan nipped her jaw to wake her up, but she just flipped around and buried her face into his neck, legs still shaking from the intensity. He moved to rubbing her back, content to carry her to his bedroom and fall asleep holding her, but she started kissing his neck and jaw sleepily, but purposefully. 

"What are you doing, sweet Jude?" he said as he smiled into her soft hair. 

"Mndhfsmmabd," she murmured into his shoulder.

"Hm?" he asked, pinching her butt.

She squeaked and sat up straight. "Can we go back to your rooms and I'll maybe tell you there?"

Normally Cardan wouldn't entertain an idea that vague without making his partner spit it out, but he was feeling generous and carried her to his rooms without a fuss about what she wanted to say. The walk there inflated his masculine pride so much he couldn't help but smirk as he carried naked, satiated Jude back to his bed. He set her down gently, but she pulled him on top of her and wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding into him over his clothes.

"Jude," Cardan groaned, "tell me what you want or I'll put you on your knees." 

Jude hesitated just because she kind of wanted him inside her mouth again, but decided that her actual idea was probably better. She flushed red as he propped himself up and watched her.

"Spit it out, Jude," he hissed at her, restraining himself from pinning her down and having his way with her.

"I want you to be inside me." Jude blushed more, and he immediately understood, but liked seeing her embarrassed.

"Oh, like this?" he said, sliding a thumb into her mouth, which she instinctively sucked on before saying, 

"No, inside me, between my legs." 

The red flush on her neck made him want to bite down until she bled.

He slid a finger between her legs, pushing into her still throbbing center.

"Like this, Jude?" he murmured into her hot skin.

"No," Jude said, so flustered she couldn't look him in the eye, which of course, he immediately made her do.

He fingered her slowly, smirking at her to say what she wanted, what he wanted, so bad.

"I want you to fuck me, Cardan," Jude breathed, and as she said that, he pushed his finger in so deep she ended his name on a moan.

"You want me to fuck you?" he asked, asshole smirk still on his beautiful face. 

"Yeah," she said breathlessly.

He moved his mouth down her chest to lick her nipple. She let out a breathy sigh.

"Did you not come hard enough when I fingerfucked you on my throne?" Cardan laughed into her breast, the human vulgarity of his words at odds with his lilting fey voice.

She clenched around his finger, her body unconsciously remembering, as he said that. "I did, but I want to be fuller." He twirled his finger lazily inside her, loosening her up. "I need you to fuck me."

"Who's in control, Jude?" he reminded her, asking to see if she would say the words she never could before.

"You're in control, Cardan," she moaned, and he said "good girl" above her core, licking her up with one slow finger deep inside, gently fucking in and out of her. He slipped his finger out, watching her pulse in its absence, and moved the flat of his tongue up her slit one last time for good measure. 

He had her moaning again, so lewd and loud and unashamed, and she felt so free. He could play her body like a violin, and she was so ready for him to push completely inside her. She sat up, ripped his shirt off, hands touching his lean muscles and lips kissing against his pulse. He pulled his pants off in a practiced move, and hovered over her as she arched towards him, his tail curling around her leg. She reached to pull him down to her but he grabbed her hands and pinned them at her head.

"Who's in control, Jude?" he whispered as he let go of one of her hands to guide himself into her. 

"You," she whimpered.

He pushed into her pulsing center, repinning her hands and kissing underneath her jaw. She moaned, breathy, as he stretched her and filled her up, the first to ever be inside her like this. He groaned as he felt her tightness around his length, and he began to move, sliding deep inside her as she wrapped her legs tight around his waist. Eventually, he let go of her wrists to grab her throat, and she spaced out so hard from the light lack of air and the pressure of his body and the pleasure fucking up inside her that Jude almost lost consciousness. Cardan watched her relax under him, and drove into her harder, pressing on the sides of her throat, grinding his pubic bone against her clit. She came saying his name so quietly he almost didn't hear as he moaned and pumped into her one last time.

He lay there for a second, basking in the orgasm they shared, and then rolled off to clean them off with a warm towel. She was limp under his hands, completely relaxed, like a newborn kitten. He reminded himself that they were using each other, but it was so hard to remember with her soft body curled so trustingly into his.

* * *

Jude woke up the next morning before him. Cardan slept like a cat, lazy and sprawled as the sun filtered through his windows and warmed his skin. His arm curled around her waist as she turned to face him. His dark eyelashes fluttered in his sleep as she traced his high cheekbones with one finger. He didn’t wake as she carefully replaced her body with a pillow under his draping arm. She slowly slid off the bed and quietly rummaged through his endless clothing to find something reasonable to wear to sneak back to her room. Satisfied with a black sweater that fit her like a short dress, she slipped out of his chambers and hastened to her own, avoiding the main hallways to lessen the chances of her running into one of the servants. 

Reaching her room a few minutes later, she plopped into her own bed with a heavy sigh, the sheets cold and empty. She wanted nothing more than to sleep in his arms for the rest of the day, and that want scared her so badly. Somehow, being nestled in his bed asleep was far more intimate than him touching her most private areas. She blushed at the thought of just how well he touched her, and as she replayed the last night, she faded from consciousness and slipped into dreams with a certain coal-eyed boy with a smirk that could slice open the toughest girl alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wasn't really planning on adding more to this fic but if people somehow read this i might consider it :)


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